Anti-wear behavior of 1-octanethiol and tween-80 capped ZnO nanoparticles as lubricating oil additives

• Published in: Surfaces and interfaces 2024-03, Vol.46, p.104018, Article 104018
• Main Authors: Uğur, Alper, Avan, İlker
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1-octanethiol; Anti-wear additives (AWA); Lubrication; Nanomaterial additive; Tween 80; Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs)
• ISSN: 2468-0230; 2468-0230
• DOI: 10.1016/j.surfin.2024.104018

•The addition of 1-octanethiol and tween-80 capped zinc oxide nanoparticles (OT-ZnO and OT/TW-ZnO NPs) improved the lubrication performance of base oil.•Compared to the 5W-30 base oil, the addition of NPs at a concentration of 0.05 (wt.%) reduced the mass loss of the test pins by at least 10.2%.•The synthesized OT-ZnO and OT/TW-ZnO NPs were detected on the worn surfaces with the least content (wt.%) of 0.58 and 0.35, respectively.•Under heavy load conditions (80 kg), the use of 0.05 (wt.%) OT/TW-ZnO NPs as a lubricant additive resulted in a maximum wear reduction of up to 23.3%.•ZnO NPs decorated with OT and TW provide better dispersion and stability in base oil than OT-capped ZnO NPs alone. 1-Octanethiol (OT) and tween-80 (TW) coated zinc oxide nanoparticles (OT-ZnO and OT/TW-ZnO NPs) were prepared and investigated as potential lubricant additives in a 5W-30 commercial engine oil to minimize wear. It was observed that the synthesized OT-ZnO NPs exhibited a moderate dispersity in a base oil, while the TW-loaded OT/TW-ZnO NP exhibited better colloidal stability and lubrication performance. Wear reduction was observed with an average value of 17% and 22% compared to the 5W-30 oil when 0.025 (wt.%) OT-ZnO and 0.050 (wt.%) OT/TW-ZnO NPs were used as additives. SEM images revealed that the synthesized OT-ZnO NPs were nearly spherical with a size of about 87 nm, while OT/TW-ZnO NPs were flower-like shaped with an average particle size of 819 nm. According to EDX analysis, the test metals showed the presence of OT-ZnO and OT/TW-ZnO NPs on the worn surface at a minimum content (wt.%) of 0.58 and 0.35, respectively. [Display omitted]